Touring America

New Mexico's Turquoise Trail

Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway is a pleasant alternative to Interstate 25 between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The nationally designated scenic byway passes through several small mining towns on the eastern flank of the Sandia Mountains. It follows NM 14, a two-lane paved road suitable for all vehicles. A side trip will lead you to Sandia Crest and magnificent views of Albuquerque, the Rio Grande, and distant Mount Taylor. This part of the byway follows NM 536, which gains nearly 4,000 feet in elevation and has numerous switchbacks. Turquoise Trail is 61 miles long, including the trip to Sandia Crest and back to the main route.

Byway Information

• Turquoise Trail Association
• New Mexico Department of Tourism
• New Mexico Department of Transportation

Nearby Attractions

• Cibola National Forest
• Sandia Peak Ski Area
• Tinkertown Museum

America's Scenic Drives

Free information and maps for more than 200 scenic byways can be found at www.roadnotes.com/scenicdrives/index.htm

Off the Beaten Path

Indiana

• Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement: A large open-air living history museum where you can see, hear, and participate in the stories of our American past.
• Gasthof Amish Village: Visit Indiana's only Amish Village, home to the Gasthof Spring Festival, the popular Amish Quilt Auction, and the Gasthof Fall Festival.
• Squire Boone Caverns: Dazzling cave formations and underground waterfalls plus lots of village activities above ground.
• Studebaker National Museum: Studebaker was the only company to span the time from settlers' wagons to high performance automobiles. View 114 years of automotive history.

Massachusetts

• Hammond Castle Museum: Medieval-style castle built between the years 1926 and 1929 with a large collection of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance artifacts.
• Hancock Shaker Village: An 1,200-acre outdoor history museum of Shaker life with 20 original buildings, gardens, and historic working farm.
• Heritage Plantation Museums & Gardens: Miles of walking paths and three art museums featuring American art and ingenuity.
• The Bridge of Flowers: Every year visitors from around the world stroll across the Bridge of Flowers to enjoy the beauty of this unusual garden.

Maryland and Delaware

• Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village: This representation of a rural village in the 1890s allows you to wander through a community frozen in time.
• Flag Ponds Nature Park: All the natural beauty of the Chesapeake Bay area comes to life with walking and hiking trails, observation platforms, fishing pier, and visitor center with wildlife displays.
• Havre de Grace Decoy Museum: With displays of 1,200 decoys and decorative carvings, the museum provides the perfect opportunity to learn about this unique American folk art form.
• Zwaanendael Museum: This museum commemorates the 300th anniversary of the first European settlement in Delaware.

RV Dump Station Locator

Free information! Find more than a thousand locations across the U.S.A. where you can empty your RV's holding tanks. To learn more, visit www.rvdumps.com

Discovering Your Public Lands

Tennessee Valley Authority

The Tennessee Valley Authority was established by an Act of Congress signed into law on May 18, 1933. It's primary purpose was constructing dams for generating power, improving river navigation, and flood control. The TVA has also constructed some 100 public recreation areas including campgrounds, day-use areas, and boat launching ramps. Every year millions of people visit TVA reservoirs and enjoy the recreational opportunities they provide.

A 102-page glovebox guide, Tennessee River County, is available from the TVA for $10. It provides information about 35 public recreation areas and the facilities available at each. It also has numerous color photographs of the Tennessee Valley. You can order the booklet by calling 865-632-4220 or 423-751-7904. Information is also available on their web site, www.tva.gov

In the Spotlight

Douglas Reservoir

Douglas Reservoir is in eastern Tennessee about 24 miles east of Knoxville. Set against the backdrop of the Smoky Mountain foothills, the 28,420-acre reservoir attracts two million visitors a year. Picnicking, camping, boating, and fishing are all popular activities at the reservoir.

There are two campgrounds on the reservoir managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Both are located near the dam and have campsites with water and electric hookups. The camping fee for sites with hookups is $16 per night; without hookups, $12. Golden Age or Golden Access Passport holders receive a 50 percent discount on camping fees.

Exploring State Parks

Texas

Texas has over 100 state parks and state historic sites that cover over 500,000 acres of land. A park information guide is available for free that has charts showing detailed information about the facilities available, campsite types, trails and other activities available in each area. You can download a PDF version or complete an online request form for the 16-page booklet at www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Texas state park campgrounds offer a range of amenities from full-hookups to primitive camping. Improved camping areas have restrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. They also provide utilities, a tent pad or RV parking pad, a picnic table, and fire ring. Some primitive camping areas have self-composting toilets but no showers. There is also backpacking opportunities in many state parks.

An entrance fee is charged at most state parks. Fees are also charged for camping or touring historic sites. A Texas State Parklands Passport is available, which provides free entrance to everyone who is 65 or older and to veterans with a disability.

In the Spotlight

Atlanta State Park

This 1,475-acre park is on Wright Patman Lake about 14 miles southwest of Texarkana. The 20,300-acre reservoir was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and offers swimming, water skiing, boating, and fishing. The state park has a sandy beach area, nature trail, and a hiking trail of five miles. An entrance fee of $1 is charged for adults staying overnight or $2 for day-use activities only.

Camping is available in three areas of the state park. There is a total of 44 campsites with electric and water hookups and 16 sites with water, electric, and sewage hookups. Camping fees are $12 per night for sites with electricity and water and $14 for sites with full hookups. On holidays, the camping fee is increased by $2. Senior rates available October through March. Each camping area also has centrally located restrooms with showers. A dump station is located in the Wilkins Creek Camping Area. A consecutive two-night minimum is required.

Washington

There are 120 state parks throughout Washington covering 260,000 acres of land. A vehicle parking fee (or entrance fee) of $5 is charged in each park. Camping is available in 80 parks. Overnight camping fees range from $10 for a primitive site to $21 per night for sites with hookups. Reservations are recommended for some of the more popular state parks and can be made online. A few state parks also have cabins, yurts, and platform tents available for rent. For complete details on all of Washington's state parks, visit www.parks.wa.gov

In the Spotlight

Lake Easton State Park

Lake Easton State Park is a forested, 516-acre park on the shores of Lake Easton in the Cascade Mountain foothills. It is located 15 miles west of Cle Elum and is easily accessed off I-90 at Exit 70. The park has beautiful mountain views and hiking trails to explore in the summer and cross country and snowmobiling trails to enjoy in the winter. The park is open year-round for day-use activities.

Camping is available in two areas within the park. One area has 45 sites with utility hookups for RVs ($21 per night) and the other has 95 tent sites ($15 per night). The camping areas are open from late April to mid-October. Centrally located restrooms with showers are available in each camping area. A dump station is also within the park.

Gadgets and Gizmos

Freeplay Plus Radio

This is one neat radio. In addition to the usual AM and FM it also has two shortwave radio bands. But that's not what makes it so neat. It's how the radio is powered; a wind-up crank, a solar panel, or an optional AC adapter. When the power goes out, all you do is turn the crank for 30 to 60 seconds and you'll be listening to the radio for an hour. Or you can set the radio in the sun and its solar panel will provide the electricity. The radio also has an internal rechargeable battery that stores the excess power generated from the wind-up crank, solar panel, or AC adaptor. The battery, when fully charged, will run the radio for over 40 hours.

The radio also serves as a flashlight. It has a detachable light with 3 white LED bulbs. The light will extend up to six feet from the radio and can be attached to metal surfaces because it has a magnetic base. The detachable light is an ingenious feature for times when the power is out. It allows you to see while you're trying to operate the radio!

The Freeplay Plus radio is available from C. Crane Company (www.ccrane.com) for about $120 or from Wise Men Trading (www.wisementrading.com) for $100. We recommend buying the AC adaptor and also a shortwave antenna if you plan on listening to shortwave radio.

Two other interesting products available from C. Crane Company are the CCRadio Plus and the Justice AM Antenna. The CCRadio Plus offers superb AM reception and good FM reception, which you can listen to in stereo through the headphone jack. It also offers TV audio for channels 2 through 13 and NOAA weather band with a special weather alert that sounds an alarm to notify you of weather emergency updates. The Justice AM Antenna is billed as "a great solution for metal trailers." This antenna dramatically increases daytime reception and eliminates most of nighttime fade out. We haven't personally tested these products but thought they were worth mentioning.

Adventures from the Past

Did you know there was only one person ever hanged for train robbery in the United States? And this same person is the only one ever decapitated by hanging? Who is this person? He's not one of the better-known outlaws of the wild west but Thomas Edward "Black Jack" Ketchum made history in more than one way.

No one knows why the cowboy turned to train robbery and killing but history leaves no doubt that he did. Preferring the railroad line between Folsom and Des Moines, New Mexico, Black Jack and his gang robbed the same train three times. But like so many other outlaws, his fate was sealed. He fumbled a train robbery and was captured. Convicted of train robbery, Black Jack was sentenced to death by hanging in Clayton, New Mexico -- the one and only hanging in this small community.

Inexperienced in hangings, the lawmen made mistakes in preparing the rope. Drawing the rope so tight that it resembled a rigid wire, Black Jack was immediately decapitated upon the hanging. At that time, hangings were a festive event. Lawmen would sell tickets and there would be a carnival-like atmosphere in the streets. Unbelievably, they also photographed hangings and published picture post cards of the gruesome results.

To read the complete story of Black Jack and see the graphic pictures, visit www.LegendsOfAmerica.com.

Roundabout RoundUp

Texas Public Campgrounds

If you plan on traveling through Texas, you'll want to get a copy of "Texas Public Campgrounds." It's a free brochure published by the Texas Department of Transportation that lists all public campgrounds. Campgrounds are listed alphabetically by nearest city or town. Each description includes directions, facilities, and contact information. You can obtain a copy at any Texas Travel Information Center or visit www.traveltex.com for online campground information.

Fall Foliage Tours

Planning a New England fall foliage tour this month? Visit About.com for tips on driving tours, resources for fall foliage updates, lodging suggestions, travel tips and ideas, and more.

Driving Large Motorhomes in California

If you own a large motorhome and plan on traveling in California, you should request a free "Motorcoach and Motorhome Network Map" from California's Department of Transportation. As you may know, California restricts the operation of motorhomes longer than 40 feet to designated routes. This free map identifies those routes that are suitable for large motorhomes. Request a copy by calling 916-654-5741 or go to www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/trucks/bus-mh/busmapinfo.htm to download any of the 12 regional sections.